She’s a country girl at heart, and now best-selling author Karly Lane is touring the New England with her novel, If Wishes Were Horses.
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The book tells the story of a widow, Sophie Bryant, who nearly loses her own life while attending a domestic dispute as a paramedic.
Diagnosed with a mild form of post-traumatic stress disorder, she decides to accept a posting to the remote township of Hilsons Ridge.
“She ends up finding a different lifestyle and a different path,” Mrs Lane said.
The character also discovers the diary of a Light Horse trooper from the First World War – a section of the plot that Mrs Lane weaved in to honour the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba.
Born in Kempsey, the author is famous for her fictional narratives on rural Australia.
“I’ve lived in small rural towns most of my life and it’s just something familiar,” she said.
“I think it’s familiar for a lot of people who have moved on to the city, they tend to still hold those country roots if they grew up there.”
At one point Mrs Lane spent time living in Tamworth, but is now located on the mid-north coast of NSW.
As for what’s next, Mrs Lane said she was currently working on three books – with one to be released at the end of the year.
“We’ve got another book coming out in December which is already with the publishers,” she said.
“They’re still trying to find a title but I’m hoping it’ll be this week that we find out.
“There’s also another two on the go at the moment for the year following.”
And if you’re wondering what it’s like juggling a family and a full-time writing career, the mother-of-four said it wasn’t always easy.
“When I was working part-time I used to have to juggle everything around the kids,” she said.
“I’m lucky now I can write as a nine-to-five job.
“I’ve got only two at home now so it’s a lot less chaotic nowadays.
“But there was one point when I had my office in behind the lounge chair and I was juggling kids fighting and writing love scenes – I don’t know how that worked, it was a bit crazy.”
I was juggling kids fighting and writing love scenes – I don’t know how that worked, it was a bit crazy.
- Karly Lane
The award-winning author will visit Walcha and Uralla on May 25, Bingara and Narrabri on May 26 and Tamworth on May 27.